1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for using nuclear waste to produce heat and/or power.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most countries using nuclear production reactors dispose of radioactive fission waste products by depositing the radioactive material in subterranean vaults or underground rock formations, well below the earth's surface and a safe distance from any moving water source. Storage vaults may comprise deep vertical wells or horizontal tunnel corridors with tunnel rooms extending laterally from the corridors. The latter method is taught in Crichlow U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,614. Prior to deposition in vaults, the waste may be mixed with materials and converted into solid form having high chemical and structural stability. For example, radioactive oxides can be melted into a borosilicate glass or, alternatively, a lead iron phosphate glass, as taught by Boatner et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,008, or a polymeric phosphate glass, as taught in Ropp U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,749. The glass mixture is typically poured into steel canisters or cylinders, solidified, sealed by welding or multiple lock systems, and overpacked with bentonite clay. The canisters are then placed into the subterranean storage chambers.
Nuclear waste storage and disposal is a highly charged social and political issue, therefore nuclear waste often stays at temporary storage sites while interested factions debate its future. The present invention provides a method for making practical and possibly temporary use of nuclear waste, while also ensuring environmental integrity and human safety.